All Chapters of THE CASTAWAY HEIR: POWER UNSEEN: Chapter 91
- Chapter 100
123 chapters
CHAPTER 91
Louis’ roar tore through the room like a thunderclap.“You’ve finally killed him!” he shouted, the veins in his neck bulging, his face twisted into something barely recognizable. In his rage, he shoved Brandon backward with both hands. “You idiot! What have you done? What if he still had hope? What if he still had time?!”Brandon stumbled, his shoulders hitting the edge of a cabinet, but he kept his balance. He didn’t retaliate. He didn’t raise a hand. He didn’t even blink. His eyes stayed fixed on Pa Marion’s violently shaking body as the old man convulsed on the bed, muscles jerking in rapid, uncontrollable spasms.But Louis had lost every shred of control.“You fast-forwarded his death!” Louis screamed. He lunged forward again, fisting Brandon’s collar and pulling him close enough that their foreheads nearly touched. “Are you satisfied now?! Are you?!”His spit hit Brandon’s cheek as he yelled. The room vibrated with anger and the frantic beeping of hospital machines.Before
CHAPTER 92
For a long, heavy moment, no one moved and no one spoke.Pa Marion’s body had stopped convulsing. His limbs lay still and his eyes remained shut. His chest rose so faintly that one could only see it by staring closely, hoping to catch the smallest shift beneath the blanket.The air in the room thickened with dread. Silence pressed down like a weight, swallowing every thought and every whisper.Louis slowly lowered the phone he had been holding to call the police. His brow furrowed in confusion and the anger on his face gave way to fear. “What… what just happened?” he muttered.Rica’s sobs died on her lips, replaced with a strangled gasp. “He… he’s stilled,” she whispered, stepping forward weakly. Her voice cracked, “Oh God… is he gone? Did he… is he dead?”Jessica’s breath caught in her throat and her heart pounded painfully against her ribs. She felt her knees weaken beneath her, forcing her to grip the foot of the bed for support. “Grandpa…” she whispered shakily as her eyes f
CHAPTER 93
A collective gasp echoed through the chamber. Eyes widened and jaws dropped. Rica, who had been pacing anxiously, froze mid-step.Louis’s phone nearly slipped from his grip, his fingers tightening around it in disbelief. Nicholas staggered back a step, his knees nearly giving way as he tried to comprehend the revelation. Even the professor, who had been stoic throughout the ordeal, leaned slightly forward in astonishment and professional curiosity.“Wh-what do you mean?” Jessica stammered, her voice trembling, cracking under the weight of shock and fear. “How… how do you even know something like that?” Her gaze darted from Brandon to the lifeless snake on the floor, then back to her grandfather, whose chest now rose with more visible, steady breaths. Brandon’s expression remained calm and composed. “I’ve dealt with this before,” he said, “I know the signs. I know how this type of poison works. I know what to do to counteract it.”Rica, trembling from head to toe, finally lowere
CHAPTER 94
Nathaniel stood frozen at the bottom of the staircase, his eyes locked onto the scene unfolding above. Jessica was in Brandon’s arms—literally. She had stumbled, Brandon had caught her, and now they were staring into each other’s eyes like two people who had forgotten the world existed.Nathaniel saw the closeness and the way Jessica’s breath hitched. She even, almost kissed him.What the hell?!A sharp, cold shock stabbed through him.Jessica? His Jessica? Leaning toward Brandon?Jealousy surged through him so violently he had to grip the railing to steady himself. His jaw clenched as he watched them. Rage flashed through him, but he forced it down, swallowing the emotion like bitter poison.Not now, he told himself. Not here in front of the Marion family.He needed to control himself. Exploding now would only expose his hand too early.When Jessica pulled back from Brandon, Nathaniel kept his face carefully composed, as though nothing had happened.He went into Pa Marion’s room
CHAPTER 95
“Listen carefully,” Nathaniel continued.The ice in his glass clinked lightly as he swirled it, watching the cube melt slowly. “We’re going to continue with the plan. Nothing changes. Every step remains the same.”A breathy sound came through the receiver on the other end. “All right. Tell me how you want it done tomorrow,” the voice said, edged with both eagerness and respect.Nathaniel smirked, a faint curl of his lips, but there was no warmth in it.“Tomorrow evening,” he said slowly and deliberately, “we go ahead with the same routine. Let's make sure the substance is added into Pa Marion’s meal again—just like before. You know the dosage. You know exactly what it does.”A chuckle, soft and almost sinister, crackled through the receiver. “Of course I know. And I’ll make sure it’s done. Slowly and steadily. Just like you instructed. His health will weaken one step at a time. He won’t even suspect for a while.”“Exactly,” Nathaniel said, his gaze sweeping the room as if imaginin
CHAPTER 96
The morning sun was just beginning to peek through the sheer curtains of Jessica’s room. Her eyes fluttered open, still heavy with sleep, but that fragile serenity shattered the moment her phone buzzed insistently on the nightstand beside her. The sharp, urgent vibration jolted her fully awake.The screen displayed the name of a servant she knew to be loyal and precise, someone who rarely called unless it was truly necessary. Hesitation flickered for a brief second in her mind, but the unmistakable urgency in the buzzing made her answer immediately.“Miss Marion! Please, you must come to the mansion immediately,” the servant blurted, almost breathless. “There’s good news, but I can’t tell you over the phone. You need to come right now. Everyone is already seated and waiting for you.”Jessica’s brow furrowed in confusion, her pulse quickening. “Good news? What is it? Why can’t you tell me? What’s happening?” Her voice carried both curiosity and an undercurrent of concern, betrayin
CHAPTER 97
The moment Jessica stepped out of the car and onto the Marion Mansion grounds, she sensed that something unusual—something grand—was unfolding. The air itself seemed different, carrying a strange buzz that prickled across her skin. It wasn’t just the usual elegance of the estate. Today, the atmosphere shimmered with an energy she couldn’t immediately name.From the entrance gate to the front porch, nothing looked the same as it had the previous day. Fresh flowers lined both sides of the walkway, each bouquet so carefully arranged that it seemed a professional event planner had spent hours perfecting them. Roses, lilies, hydrangeas, all in soft coordinated colors, guided her steps in a delicate floral pathway.Shimmering ribbons were tied neatly around the tall white pillars that framed the porch, fluttering lightly in the morning breeze. And beneath all of that, soft music floated from inside the mansion.Her brows knitted in confusion as she paused, trying to piece the scene to
CHAPTER 98
“What do you mean a prelude to my marriage to Nathaniel?” Jessica asked, her voice trembling with disbelief. “Mother, is this a dream?” Before Rica could answer, Nathaniel himself stepped forward from where he’d been speaking to Jessica’s uncle. His polished shoes clicked softly against the marble floor, drawing even more eyes to him. His whole appearance seemed to fit seamlessly into the event.He gave Jessica a warm, deliberate smile. “Jessica, I know this must be sudden—”“Sudden?” Jessica repeated, her heartbeat hammering so loudly she could barely hear him. The word echoed in her chest like a warning bell.“Jessica,” Rica said firmly, stepping closer, "your uncles and I have discussed things with the Collins, and we all agreed. You and Nathaniel will be bonded today, officially. A formal union ceremony, announcing your engagement. It is the perfect time, and everyone important is already present.”Jessica felt as though the floor dropped out from beneath her feet. For a mo
CHAPTER 99
The hall was silent after Rica’s declaration. Jessica, who had already taken several steps toward the exit, stopped abruptly as if an invisible force had grabbed her mid-stride. Her breath hitched, her jaw tightened so hard it ached, and her pulse thundered in her ears.Slowly, she turned around to face her mother again.“Are you threatening me?” Jessica asked. Rica did not flinch. She stood still, her expression cold and unreadable. She looked like a woman carved from stone. “I am stating the consequences of your actions. A Marion does not disgrace her family by storming out of her own engagement ceremony.”Engagement ceremony. The words hit Jessica again like fresh poison.A bitter laugh slipped through her lips, humorless and broken. She took a long breath, long enough to prevent herself from screaming. “Threatening to disown your daughter because she refuses an arranged marriage… and you don’t think that’s extreme?”Rica’s lips pressed into a thin line. “It is not extreme.
CHAPTER 100
The room was silent at first. Then—slowly, the whispers began. “What just happened?”“Is she mad?”“Did she really just walk out like that?”“She embarrassed her entire family—”“What a disgrace…”Nathaniel heard everything.And each one poured more gasoline on the fire already blazing in his chest. He had spent weeks—weeks—arranging this. Silently coordinating with Rica behind Jessica’s back, planning every step.He had secured a hall. Had the decorations arranged by top-tier designers. Brought representatives from both families. Ordered expensive refreshments, flown in from three different states. Brought gifts that cost more than some people earned in an entire year. He had even planned the color of the napkins to match Jessica’s favorite shade of champagne gold.Everything had been perfectly planned, with Nathaniel believing Jessica would finally accept him upon seeing both families gathered—but, to his surprise, she simply walked away.Jessica Marion had dared—dared—to humi